The first to break was a young sentry.
He tore out his own eyes before sunrise, muttering in a dead dialect no one had spoken for centuries. When restrained, he screamed of "the one beneath," of "a name carved in marrow," and then fell silent.
He died before the hour ended—bloodless.
Not drained. Emptied.
---
Lucas examined the body himself.
No bite marks. No wounds. But his system pulsed violently.
---
[System Update: Crypt Seepage Escalation]
Mental Interference +4% | Clan Morale -6% | Possession Risk: Localized
Seal Breach Probability: 36% (Escalating)
---
Mira approached him later, trembling. "Some of the builders are seeing things. Hearing voices. One said the stones were bleeding."
"They're not wrong," Lucas muttered.
He returned to the sealed door that night. Alone.
The sixth chain was glowing now. Crimson veins of light throbbed through the metal. The coffin no longer slept—it watched.
The voice returned. Not through his ears. Through his blood.
> You built your house over a grave.
Now I am the foundation.
Lucas opened the system.
---
[Critical Action Available]
Attempt Partial Rebinding Ritual (Requires 3 Highblood Units)
Sacrifice One Elite Vampire to Reinforce Chain 6 (Success Chance: 78%)
Unlock Bloodline Archive Entry #2 – Risk of Partial Awakening
---
He closed the interface.
Not yet.
But time was thinning.
---
At sunrise, someone found a sigil etched into the side of the northern wall.
Not painted.
Carved with claw.
A symbol of an open coffin surrounded by broken fangs.
It wasn't just fear anymore.
It was worship.